Former Colombia aide faces arrest

31 July 2011 Last updated at 01:40 GMT Uribe employed Moreno as his chief of staff for eight years A senior aide of former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe is facing criminal prosecution.

A judge has ordered the arrest of Mr Uribe's former chief of staff, Bernardo Moreno, for allegedly spying on judges, journalists and politicians.

It is the second such order this week. Andres Felipe Arias, a former agriculture minister, has been charged with corruption. He denies the allegations.

Alvaro Uribe left office last year.

Mr Moreno served as Mr Uribe's chief of staff for both of his presidential terms, from 2002-2010.

He now faces trial for criminal conspiracy, abuse of public office and other charges.

Mr Moreno would be jailed for at least three years, if convicted. He denies all the charges.

Mr Arias, 38, is suspected of diverting farm subsidies intended for peasant farmers to rich landowners.

He will be held at a jail in the capital Bogota while his case proceeds.

The Colombian Attorney General's office has already disqualified him from public office for 16 years because of what it deemed were irregularities in the subsidy scheme.

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Strauss-Kahn freed from house arrest

1 July 2011 Last updated at 19:45 GMT Dominique Strauss-Kahn looked relaxed as he emerged from court alongside his wife

Former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn has been released from house arrest and had his $6m (?3.7m) cash bail and bond returned amid doubts over the credibility of his accuser.

Prosecutors have agreed that Mr Strauss-Kahn should be freed "on his own recognisance", meaning he must simply promise to appear in court.

He is accused of sexually assaulting a maid in a New York hotel on 14 May.

The case is now close to collapse, US media reports say.

The 62-year-old French politician - who had been seen as a leading candidate for the French presidency - appeared in court in New York on Friday over the sexual assault case.

Continue reading the main story

The only defence Dominique Strauss-Kahn has is that this sexual encounter was consensual. That it a lie”

End Quote Kenneth P Thompson Lawyer for alleged victim 'Substantial change' After assessing disclosures by prosecutors from the office of the Manhattan district attorney, a judge rescinded the strict bail terms imposed on Mr Strauss-Kahn, but did order that his passport be retained so he could not travel outside the US.

In a letter submitted to the court prosecutors said that the maid gave false testimony to a grand jury, omitting the fact that she cleaned another room before alerting a supervisor to her claims of sexual assault.

"I understand that the circumstances of this case have changed substantially, and I agree the risk that he would not be here has receded quite a bit. I release Mr Strauss-Kahn at his own recognisance," Justice Michael Obus told the court on Friday.

"In the meantime there will be no rush to judgment on this case," Mr Obus said.

On the court steps, opposing lawyers each maintained their case.

"I want to remind all of you that at each appearance in the last six weeks, we asked you and asked the world not to rush to judgement - now I think you can understand why," said Mr Strauss-Kahn's lawyer, William Taylor.

Continue reading the main story Caroline Hepker BBC News, New York

Dominique Strauss-Kahn looked tanned and confident in court in Manhattan. It was a very different sight to the dishevelled former IMF boss who appeared only a few weeks ago to deny serious sexual allegations.

In the court, journalists packed the benches and even the jury box as the case took a stunning twist. Following the hearing, lawyers for both sides slugged it out under the blazing sunshine on the steps of the courthouse.

Camera crews lined both sides of the street as helicopters buzzed overhead vying for a glimpse of Mr Strauss-Kahn and his wife.

The street where he has remained under house arrest has been besieged by paparrazzi during the past several weeks, much to the annoyance of other residents.

In New York, there has been a fascination with the seeming downfall of this powerful Frenchman. Now the story from the victim is being challenged -another amazing twist that will be followed with interest.

"We believe the next step will lead to the complete dismissal of the charges," he added.

After Friday's hearing, Mr Strauss-Kahn strode out of court smiling, with his wife on his arm.

In earlier court hearings, prosecutors had spoken of the strength of their case. One attorney said the proof against him was "substantial".

Now prosecutors believe she may have lied under questioning and could have links to drug dealers and money-laundering.

But the alleged victim's lawyer, Kenneth P Thompson, maintained on Friday that his client's story was genuine and that Mr Strauss-Kahn was guilty of sexual assault charges.

"The only defence Dominique Strauss-Kahn has is that this sexual encounter was consensual. That is a lie," he said.

He continued at length, giving a detailed and graphic account of the maid's alleged encounter with Mr Strauss-Kahn and criticising District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.

Mr Vance said the case would continue to be investigated, including concerns that had been raised about the credibility of Mr Strauss-Kahn's accuser.

"Our prosecutors from the Manhattan DA's office will continue their investigation into these alleged crimes and will do so until we have uncovered all relevant facts," he said.

Mr Strauss-Kahn is to appear back in court on 18 July.

Doubts over credibility

The maid claims that Mr Strauss-Kahn chased her down a hallway in his expensive hotel suite in the Sofitel hotel before sexually assaulting her.

However, unnamed law enforcement officials have now told US media the accuser has repeatedly lied since the alleged attack on 14 May.

The officials believe the woman also lied on her application for asylum in the US, particularly over an allegation that she had been raped while at home in Guinea, in West Africa.

Mr Vance: “Our office's commitment is to the truth and to the facts"

"She actually recounted the entire story to prosecutors and later said it was false," one law enforcement official told the Associated Press news agency.

But Mr Thompson defended his client's story on Friday, offering up graphic details of the alleged encounter between Mr Strauss-Kahn and the maid.

"From day one she has described a violent sexual assault that Dominique Strauss-Kahn committed against her," Mr Thompson said, adding that Mr Strauss-Kahn bruised the maid's body and threw her to the floor.

"She has never once changed a single thing about that account. The district attorney knows that," he added.

Mr Thompson said that though the maid "may have made some mistakes", that does not mean the assault never occurred.

Following the twists to the sexual assault case on Friday, hopes among some have been raised about the possibility Mr Strauss-Kahn may once again be able to compete with Nicolas Sarkozy for the French presidency in 2012.

Mr Strauss-Kahn had been under house arrest in a New York apartment since posting a $6m (?3.7m) cash bail and bond in May.

He is charged with seven counts including four more serious felony charges - two of criminal sexual acts, one of attempted rape and one of sexual abuse - plus three misdemeanour offences, including unlawful imprisonment.

Mr Strauss-Kahn, who resigned as head of the International Monetary Fund to defend himself, vigorously denies the charges.

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Libya rejects ICC arrest warrant

27 June 2011 Last updated at 21:10 GMT The ICC said it had grounds to believe Col Gaddafi had ordered attacks on Libyan civilians Libya has rejected a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for the arrest of Col Muammar Gaddafi, saying the tribunal has no authority.

The ICC earlier accused the Libyan leader of crimes against humanity.

The court had grounds to believe he had ordered attacks on civilians during Libya's four-month uprising, it said.

The Hague-based court also issued warrants for two of Col Gaddafi's top aides - his son Saif al-Islam and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanussi.

Thousands of people are believed to have been killed in the conflict.

Anti-Gaddafi forces said on Monday they had launched a new push towards Tripoli, with heavy fighting near the strategic town of Bir al-Ghanam, to the south-west of capital.

The rebel defence minister told the BBC that forces opposed to Col Gaddafi may also make a move on the capital from the east.

'Unquestioned control'

Libya's justice minister said Libya did not accept the ICC's decision to call for Col Gaddafi's arrest.

Continue reading the main story Bridget Kendall BBC News, Benghazi

This is in some way Libya's 'Wild East': Since the uprising began in February, Benghazi has become a city stocked with arms and a population of young men eager to let off exuberant volleys at the slightest provocation. But there was real passion in their reaction to the ICC's announcement.

Many in the rebels' eastern stronghold seem impatient to see their former leader brought to justice, not just for his attempts to crush their uprising, but also for what they remember as brutal oppression by his regime for more than 40 years. And many appear to be increasingly optimistic that it could happen soon.

The rebel leadership says there is still a plan to advance on Tripoli from all sides, squeeze Col Gaddafi's supporters, and undermine him through uprisings from within the city. But they also seem to be hoping they can avoid a final military showdown, and instead force the Libyan leader out of office without more bloodshed.

Mohammad al-Qamoodi told a Tripoli news conference the court was "a tool of the Western world to prosecute leaders in the third world".

He added: "The leader of the revolution and his son do not hold any official position in the Libyan government and therefore they have no connection to the claims of the ICC against them."

The warrants refer to early weeks of the uprising, from 15 February until "at least 28 February".

There were "reasonable grounds to believe" that the three men were "criminally responsible" for the murder and persecution of civilians, said a statement read out by the ICC's presiding judge, Sanji Monageng.

Col Gaddafi had absolute and unquestioned control over Libya as its undisputed leader, and had introduced a policy to quell civilian demonstrations by any means, including by the use of force, said the court.

While Saif al-Islam Gaddafi held no official position in Libya, he was "the most influential person" in Col Gaddafi's inner circle, it added.

Mr Sanussi, said the court, had "directly instructed the troops to attack civilians demonstrating" in Benghazi, the city that has become the rebels' stronghold.

The warrants had been requested by chief ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo in May, to protect Libyan civilians.

There was celebratory gunfire in the streets of the rebel stronghold of Benghazi and the besieged city of Misrata as the news emerged.

Continue reading the main story Issued against Muammar Gaddafi, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi and Abdullah al-Senussi For alleged criminal responsibility for the commission of murder and persecution as crimes against humanity from 15 February 2011 onwards Charges relate to actions of Libyan State apparatus and security forces in Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata and elsewhere in LibyaThe rebel Transitional National Council's Ibrahim Dabbashi welcomed the decision, saying people close to Col Gaddafi should now urge him to step down.

"Those who are working with Gaddafi now… know that they are working with at least a suspected criminal, if they don't believe that he is a criminal," Mr Dabbashi, a former Libyan ambassador to the UN, told the BBC's Newshour programme.

"I think they have to convince Gaddafi to step down and to try to safe his life and the lives of his family."

On the military front, meanwhile, the rebels advanced some six miles (10km) towards Tripoli on Monday, says the BBC's Mark Doyle on the front line about 40 miles south-west of the capital.

The fighting was taking place on a plain of rock and sand between Bir al-Ghanem and Bir Ayyad a few miles to the south, with shells whistling overhead in both directions and plumes of smoke and sand rising into the air, he says.

The rebels seemed better armed in this strategic area than elsewhere in the country, adds our correspondent, who saw several pick-up trucks full of rebel soldiers - in clean uniforms and new-looking rocket launchers and rifles - heading for the front line.

The ICC announcement came as the international air operation in Libya, aimed at protecting civilians, entered its 100th day.

It was welcomed by Nato Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, as well as the governments of Nato allies France, the UK and the US.

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Greenpeace head in oil rig arrest

17 June 2011 Last updated at 17:19 GMT In an earlier incident, the Danish Navy removed 18 protesters from the same rig The global head of Greenpeace has been arrested after scaling an Arctic rig operated by oil firm Cairn Energy.

International executive director Kumi Naidoo was arrested along with another campaigner after boarding the Leiv Eiriksson rig off Greenland.

The arrests followed an injunction issued last week by a Dutch court, barring Greenpeace activists from approaching the drilling vessel.

Cairn Energy won the injunction after several similar occupations.

Under the terms of the court order, Greenpeace faces a penalty of 50,000 euros (?44,370) a day, up to a maximum of 1m euros, for failing to comply.

Edinburgh-based Cairn confirmed members of the environmental group had boarded the Leiv Eiriksson but had been removed by the Greenland authorities without interrupting the operation of the platform.

In a statement, the company said: "Wherever it is active, Cairn seeks to operate in a safe and prudent manner.

"The Greenland Bureau of Minerals and Petroleum has established some of the most stringent operating regulations anywhere globally, which mirror those applied in the Norwegian North Sea."

Greenpeace said Mr Naidoo travelled to the Leiv Eiriksson vessel on an inflatable speedboat launched from the group's ship Esperanza, evading a Danish navy warship.

Mr Naidoo was arrested after climbing a ladder on one of the platform's legs

He then climbed a 30m (98.4ft) ladder up the outside of one of the platform's legs.

Mr Naidoo carried the signatures of 50,000 supporters who have called for Cairn to explain how it would deal with a deep water drilling disaster similar to that which hit BP's Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico a year ago.

Greenpeace claims Cairn Energy have refused repeated requests to publish its oil spill plan.

Speaking before he set out to scale the platform, Mr Naidoo, said: "The Arctic oil rush is such a serious threat to the climate and to this beautiful fragile environment that I felt Greenpeace had no choice to return, so I volunteered to do it myself."

Ben Stewart, a Greenpeace associate onboard the Esperanza, said after Mr Naidoo's arrest that the activists were heading out of the area, although the battle to stop Arctic oil drilling was "far from over".

He said: "After over a month of non-stop action to stop dangerous deep water drilling in the Arctic, which has seen 22 Greenpeace activists, including Kumi, arrested after braving freezing seas to protest against Cairn's reckless drilling, it is time to move the campaign up a gear and out of the Arctic.

"We are now leaving the area and taking the campaign against dangerous Arctic oil drilling to other places, and that's where we'll be for the rest of the year."

Protesters trying to delay drilling operations, which must take place during the region's short summer, have twice before boarded the Leiv Eiriksson in recent weeks.

In one incident, work was suspended for 12 hours after 18 Greenpeace protesters breached a restricted area on the rig.

Cairn, through its subsidiary Capricorn, operates 11 blocks off Greenland and plans to drill up to four wells off Greenland in summer 2011.

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China police arrest 25 in clashes

12 June 2011 Last updated at 08:42 GMT Last week, there were protests in central Hubei province Police in southern China say they have arrested 25 people after clashes between residents and security forces near the city of Guangzhou.

A crowd threw bottles and bricks at police after a dispute between two street vendors and local security.

Riot police are also patrolling the city of Lichuan in central China after crowds attacked government offices.

Protests and clashes with police are common in China over corruption and land seizures by local officials.

In the Guangzhou incident, reports said people in the town of Xintang blocked traffic and damaged vehicles as the dispute between police and two street vendors, a migrant couple, escalated.

Police later seized control of the area, which is in southern China's manufacturing heartland and is home to migrants working in a number of textile factories.

'Unnatural death'

The arrests follow a separate incident further north, in Lichuan city in Hubei province, where hundreds of people laid siege to local government offices following the death in custody of a respected local official.

The official, Ran Jinxian, had been arrested for allegedly taking bribes linked to land seizures and forced demolitions of people's homes.

Mr Ran, 49, was arrested on 26 May and died on 4 June. His family said he was beaten to death during interrogation.

"Ran's cousin said he found signs of wounds and bruises on Ran's body at the hospital and believed that they were signs of an 'unnatural death'," state-run Xinhua news agency said.

Residents of Lichuan said Mr Ran was arrested because he refused to co-operate with his superiors in a campaign of land requisitions.

Several officials have been detained or are under investigation over Mr Ran's death.

There is widespread anger in China over corruption and the practice of seizing land and clearing out the residents to develop it for a profit.

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ICC seeks Gaddafi arrest warrant

16 May 2011 Last updated at 19:16 GMT Luis Moreno-Ocampo: "Gaddafi committed the crimes with the goal of preserving his authority"

The International Criminal Court chief prosecutor is seeking the arrest of Libyan leader Col Muammar Gaddafi and two others for crimes against humanity.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Col Gaddafi, his son Saif al-Islam, and intelligence chief Abdullah al-Sanussi bore the greatest responsibility for "widespread and systematic attacks" on civilians.

ICC judges must still decide whether or not to issue warrants for their arrest.

The Libyan government has already said it will ignore the announcement.

Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Kaim said the court was a "baby of the European Union designed for African politicians and leaders" and its practices were "questionable".

Libya did not recognise its jurisdiction, like a few other African countries and the United States, he added.

'Inner circle' Continue reading the main story Andrew North BBC News, Tripoli

Luis Moreno-Ocampo's call for the arrest of Col Gaddafi on war crimes charges is his second for a sitting head of state. But as with his indictment of Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, this could be just as hard to enforce.

Some fear this will only complicate efforts to bring the violence to an end, making it harder to negotiate a settlement - if potential interlocutors fear they will face future prosecution.

The Libyan authorities have already dismissed the International Criminal court as irrelevant. But the prosecutor's office says it has been getting calls from some unnamed Libyan officials offering evidence, which if true suggests some at least take the prosecutor's investigations very seriously.

And the Libyan leader, his son and his intelligence chief are now looking even more isolated.

Mr Moreno-Ocampo said that after reviewing more than 1,200 documents and 50 interviews with key insiders and witnesses, his office had evidence showing that Col Gaddafi had "personally ordered attacks on unarmed Libyan civilians".

"His forces attacked Libyan civilians in their homes and in public spaces, shot demonstrators with live ammunition, used heavy weaponry against participants in funeral processions, and placed snipers to kill those leaving mosques after prayers," he told a news conference in The Hague.

"The evidence shows that such persecution is still ongoing as I speak today in the areas under Gaddafi control. Gaddafi forces have prepared a list with names of alleged dissidents, and they are being arrested, put into prisons in Tripoli, tortured and made to disappear," he added.

Mr Moreno-Ocampo continued: "His [Col Gaddafi's] second-oldest son, Saif al-Islam, is the de facto prime minister and Sanussi, Gaddafi's brother-in-law, is his right-hand man - the executioner, the head of military intelligence. He commanded personally some of the attacks."

Continue reading the main story

The office documented how the three held meetings to plan and direct the operations”

End Quote Luis Moreno-Ocampo Prosecutor, International Criminal Court The prosecutor insisted he was "almost ready" for a trial, based on the testimony, particularly of those who had escaped from Libya.

Libya's opposition National Transitional Council praised the ICC move.

But its vice-president, Abdel Hafez Ghoga, said: "We would like him [Col Gaddafi] to be tried in Libya first before being put on trial in an international court."

Selective justice?

Earlier, Mr Moreno-Ocampo said the three men were suspected of committing crimes against humanity in two categories - murder and persecution - under the Rome Statute, which established the court.

The charges cover the days following the start of anti-government protests on 15 February. Between 500 and 700 people are believed to have been killed in that month alone.

ICC prosecutors are also studying evidence about the alleged commission of war crimes once the situation developed into an armed conflict.

This includes allegations of rape and attacks against sub-Saharan Africans wrongly perceived to be mercenaries.

An inquiry set up by the UN Human Rights Council is expected to submit its report on the alleged war crimes to the UN Security Council on 7 June.

The charges cover the days following the start of anti-government protests on 15 February

Mr Moreno-Ocampo said he was acting in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1970, which referred the situation in Libya to the ICC.

The Pre-Trial Chamber's judges may decide to accept the prosecutor's application, reject it, or ask him for more information.

If a warrant for Col Gaddafi is issued, it would only be the second time the ICC has sought a warrant for a sitting head of state.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has been indicted for genocide in Darfur.

Amnesty International said the international community must not allow justice to appear selective, because what was happening in Syria was "equal to if not worse than the situation in Libya".

Overnight, Libyan state television reported Nato aircraft had bombed an oil terminal in the eastern port of Ras Lanuf.

The alleged raid came after insurgents said they had taken full control of the western city of Misrata.

The rebels also said they had defeated two brigades of troops loyal to Col Gaddafi in the city of Zintan, south-east of Tripoli, over the weekend.

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